How You Turn My World
by Gypsy Dreamer
Summary: **CHAPTER 4 UP!** Seven years after she conquered the Labyrinth, Sarah can't decide if the ordeal was real or a figment of her imagination. A familiar visitor in her apartment one dark night should clear that up....
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys - this is my first Labyrinth fic and I have NO idea where it's going, so please review if you like it! Thanks for reading!**

He had been begging her.

Sarah froze with her key in the lock, one arm carefully balancing a stack of books against the doorframe. She frowned, annoyed with herself for the random and unwelcome thought. Why had she even been thinking about that time? About him?

She looked over her shoulder and glanced up at the moon, clearly visible in the darkening sky although it was only just past sundown. Full and glowing, it hung lazily above the treetops, flanked by a lone star.

Sarah shook her head, unlocked the door and staggered into her apartment, both arms full of books. That was it, then. The full moon always reminded her of him, of everything to do with that dizzying trip to the Underground. It made her think of crystal balls, of clocks, of his odd eyes...it even had the same full roundness of a peach like the one he'd given her.

She shut the door behind her with her foot, pausing before the mirror hanging on her wall. Her own clear eyes stared back at her. Silky black hair fell around her face; her lips were full, her skin pale and creamy with a smattering of freckles still sprinkled across her small nose. She still looked like the hardheaded, naive girl who'd stomped into the Labyrinth with such confidence, but her features had grown and shaped into those of a woman. Now twenty-one, she liked to think that she was a little wiser than the stubborn teenager she'd once been.

She kicked off her shoes and wandered into the living room, her mind still troubled. That damned moon had gotten her thinking about the last words she'd spoken to him on that night. The words that were her farewell to the Goblin King.

Standing alone together at the end of her ordeal, he'd stood before her - still every inch a King, but somehow weakened, a little humbler than the laughing monarch who'd watched her struggle through the Labyrinth with her baby brother on his lap. His bright eyes, always teasing and scornful, now looked at her with calculation and with something very like tenderness.

"Look, Sarah. Look what I'm offering you."

She could still hear his gentle, dark voice, pressing her, entreating her. He had summoned a crystal, held it before her, willed her to look into it.

"Your dreams..."

But she wasn't the same girl he'd sent into his Labyrinth. She had had enough of his beautiful illusions, his tricks and promises.

"...My will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great," she continued firmly. Her heart racing, she had taken a step forward. He mirrored her movement, stepping back, never taking his eyes from her face.

"I ask for so little." His drawling voice, so sensuous and lofty, now seemed to waver, and he stared into her eyes with something like fear. "Just let me rule you...and you can have everything that you want."

She had caught her breath at the seductive offer, but forced herself to press on. Even as the lines failed her, as she hesitated, still she stood her ground.

His mismatched eyes were now wide, alarmed. Pleading. "Just fear me," he whispered, "Love me...do as I say, and I will be your slave!" He must have known that she had the upper hand, that he was going to lose her...

Even in her own emotional state, Sarah could plainly see desparation carved into the proud King's features. What else would prompt the ruler of the Goblins to offer himself so plainly, so plaintively? But she had been too frazzled, too exhausted from her ordeal in the Labyrinth to care. His words surely meant nothing - just empty promises and impossible delights, like the enchanted peach he had tried to trick her with, like every illusion and deception she had faced and conquered so far. He was the last one - the last deception. And she would defeat him the same way as she had his many tricks.

The final words came to her, fell from her tongue. For one final moment she had stared into his eyes, watched his face fall, contorting with something that looked like pain - and then everything had fallen away in a rush as a clock chimed, the Goblin King was transforming and suddenly she was home again. Home, standing bewildered in her dark living room seven long years ago just as she now stood in her tiny apartment that badly needed cleaning.

She sighed and tossed her armful of books onto the sofa. Dropping down beside them, she ran her fingers through her silky black hair and let out a groan. Why would he choose now to invade her thoughts again? College had been keeping her busy, and it had been quite some time since she had thought about her adventure in the Labyrinth all those years ago. Indeed, with the pressures of the real world surrounding her, several times she'd come close to making herself believe she had dreamed the whole affair.

She smiled, closing her eyes. Wouldn't that be nice? To know for certain that in spite of her vivid memories, in spite of the dreams that still woke her in the middle of many dark nights, the entire thing had simply been conjured up by her overactive imagination. She chuckled to herself as she stood and moved to the curtains to close them for the night. What she'd needed as a young girl was some therapy - all those hours of playing dress-up and make-believe had clearly made her a little insane!

She turned back around and nearly collided with the tall, dark figure standing in the middle of her room. Unleashing a banshee scream, she leapt backwards, tripped over the edge of the rug and went toppling to the floor. Landing pretty hard on her butt, she squeezed her eyes shut as a sharp pain shot through her - but even with her eyes closed she could still see him standing there. There was no mistaking him, even in the dark. She gritted her teeth as that purring voice filled her ears for the first time in seven long years.

"Hello again, Sarah."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey y'all, here's chapter 2! Reviews welcome and appreciated, thanks so much for the ones you've given so far!!  
**

Jareth watched without flinching as Sarah went sprawling to the ground, a smirk curling his lips.

He couldn't possibly remember how many nights he'd lain awake all these long years, dreaming of this night...of this moment. Dreaming of the time when he could see her again, see the fear and the respect in her eyes. Now he regarded her coolly as she picked herself up from the floor with as much dignity as she could. She still had the clear skin and rosy cheeks of a child, but everything else about her had changed dramatically. Her body, still in the bloom of youth when he'd last laid eyes on her, was now long, slender, buxom. He'd known it would be so, of course, but for a moment it was difficult to take in. She truly was a woman now.

He continued to watch her in silence, savoring her clear consternation. It gave him great pleasure to see her so unsettled - that was why he'd appeared like a ghost in her home, rather than his usual showy display with thunder and crystals. He wanted the first thing she remembered about him to be how powerful he was. How she was still no match for him, no matter how grown she was.

But when she finally opened her eyes and glowered up at him, he caught his breath without meaning to, which puzzled him. But then again, it wasn't his fault - it'd been seven whole years, after all. He couldn't help it if he'd forgotten how simply and strikingly beautiful she was.

He felt his initial contempt softening as he looked down at her face, still so open and earnest despite her womanly features and current scowl. The long years really hadn't changed her a bit. She was still that bright-eyed girl living in a dream world...

"You're looking well, Sarah," he heard himself murmer.

When her eyes narrowed in that suspicious indignance that he knew so well, he cursed himself inwardly. What was the matter with him? He was the Goblin King! There was no way this girl would shake him again. Not like last time. She owed him a debt. He had to stay focused if things were to go right.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here, Jareth?" she growled, standing straight and glaring at him.

He flashed her a pleasant smile. "Really now, Sarah...is that any way to greet an old aquaintance?"

She shook her head disbelievingly. "You and I are aquaintances in the same way the Underground is a luxurious summer resort. Answer my question: why are you here?"

"Why so flustered?" he countered softly, stepping toward her in the dark. "Can it be that my presence has reminded you that I am, in fact...real?"

She lowered her eyes, and he watched her hands curl into fists at her sides. So she was still short-tempered, and just as easily riled up as she'd been as a child. That, and what he'd said clearly held a ring of truth for her. _Some things never change,_ he mused to himself. Aloud he pondered, "Or is that you're embarrassed over the state of your home? I do seem to have caught you at an inopportune time for entertaining guests," he added, glancing scornfully about her messy living room. "I know I'm accustomed to more lavish conditions, being of royal blood, but still, aren't young ladies more or less expected...?"

"Shut up," she snarled. "You're not my guest and I'm sure as hell not gonna entertain you. If I have to ask you one more time why you decided to barge in uninvited, I'm gonna shove my--"

"As you wish."

His gentle aquiesence pulled her up short. She stared at him uncertainly. Her clear eyes were still so captivating, so large and full of inquisition. It reminded him of that time so long ago, the time that had forced him to return to her now...and by the Underground, he was going to enjoy this.

She had made him beg. The lofty, insolent girl had all but brought him to his knees without turning a hair. And even when he did finally relent and offer himself to her - tossing the remnants of his royal pride to the wind - she had ignored it. Cruelly she had spoken the words that forced him to release her, never once considering that he was being more sincere and genuine with her than he'd ever been in his entire life. She'd made him beg and then laughed at him.

Yet he couldn't say they weren't even. After all, she'd been the first to humble herself before him, to plead with him. That first moment they'd met, her eyes had been soft, scared, brimming with emotion...holding none of the fire that they contained now. She'd been only a frightened child, faced with the knowledge that she'd wished away her baby brother into the hands of the Goblin King.

_"Please bring him back. Please!"_

Those were the words that she spoke, her sweet young face entreating him. And even then, before the Labyrinth, before she'd humiliated him - even then he enjoyed the brokenness in her voice.

_"Sarah, go back to your room,"_ he'd commanded, laughing, toying with her._"Play with your toys and your costumes. Forget about the baby."_

It was only then, when he'd challenged her, that he'd seen the birth of the courage and confidence that she carried until the very end. The moment had been fleeting, but she'd been afraid. She had been forced to acknowledge his power, forced to concede that he was the stronger one.

She had begged him once. And she would beg him again.

He drew a crystal from the air and held it before her, noticing with satisfaction that she cringed slightly at the sight of it. "Observe, Sarah. There is indeed a reason I've come to you tonight."

She eyed the ball, then glanced up at him again. In the pale light of the moon coming through the window, he could see her eyes, large in the dark.

"Go on," he coaxed her softly. "See for yourself."

Her brows knit and she caught her lower lip between her teeth. Slowly she approached him, stopping with shaky footsteps before him. He caught his breath again at having her so close, within his grasp...but he forced himself to remain composed, to hold the crystal still for her as she peered into it. And when she did, he couldn't withhold a sadistic smile as her eyed widened in horror.

"No," she whispered, her fearful voice sending a thrill down his spine. "Please, no..."

**Dun dun DUNNNNN!!! To be continued.....thanks for reading ;-3  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter three, guys! Sorry for the wait - the real world sadly called my attention away from the Labyrinth for a bit ;-3 Thanks so much for your patience! Enjoy!**

Toby watched the door close behind his mother and father, allowing an impish grin to creep over his young face. As always, his wide-eyed innocent look had worked perfectly. The smiling and nodding throughout their lecture - no running, no horseplay, no touching the stove or anything in the kitchen, stay inside and keep the door locked - had them convinced that their little angel couldn't possibly get into any trouble while they ran to the corner pharmacy for his father's prescription pills. But in his brief seven years of existence - soon to be eight, he reminded himself gleefully - he had learned that even the fifteen minutes they'd be gone would provide him with plenty of time to get into whatever mischief he pleased.

And today, he had his heart set on the most forbidden area of all: the attic.

There was no time to lose; he ran for the staircase. Already a sturdy, lanky boy, and tall for his age, he had no need of the handrail as he bounded up, nimbly taking them two at a time. At the top he paused to shake his sandy-brown hair from his large, bright eyes, then sauntered over the to the rope that hung from the ceiling and, pulling it carefully, managed to open the trapdoor and extend the rickety little ladder. Climbing up into the attic at a crawl, both hands carefully pulling him up, he grinned. He felt like a pirate.

"Avast, ye scurvy dogs!" he bellowed, delighted that his mother was not here to tell him to use his "inside voice." Fearless sea captains didn't need to use their inside voices when taking over an enemy ship. "Prepare to be boarded, ye scum-sucking bilge rats!"

To his satisfaction, only an echo answered his shocking battle cry. Had his mother been here, he didn't know what would upset her worse: the shouting, or his shocking language. "Heheh. 'Bilge rats.'" He snickered to himself as he hoisted himself up onto the attic floor. He wasn't sure what exactly the words meant, but he'd watched enough pirate movies to know they had to be pretty bad.

Climbing to his feet, he stared around the dusty space in awe. It was larger than he'd thought, and very dark, with the only sunlight peeking through a small slit in the boarded-up window. Boxes and trunks were stacked everywhere, flanked by the occasional lamp or bookshelf and a dirty old teddy bear that was nearly as big as he was.

He had never been up here before; it wasn't allowed. The thrill of doing something forbidden and independent excited him. Creeping towards the nearest pile of boxes, he whispered, "The fearless Captain Tobias has come to reclaim his treasure...but who knows what dangers and traps lurk in this creepy cave? Probably all kinds of....bad stuff."

Brushing the dust off the largest box in the pile, he made out the scrawled words "Sarahs' old books." That gave him pause. He wasn't sure his big sister would like him pawing through her stuff. But how would she know? She was away at college. Besides, he'd take great care not to hurt any of her things. Although he'd never admit it aloud, he loved his beautiful sister more than anyone in the world. No one else understood quite like she did how fun it was to escape into the worlds of the imagination. His parents and teachers despaired that he seemed to prefer pirate ships to fire trucks. But Sarah understood, and for that he would adore her forever.

Lifting the flaps of the box with some difficulty, he was disheartened by the stacks of boring-looking books inside. Although he was already an avid reader, these looked mostly like high school textbooks, the nearest of which was labeled something that started with "Trig." He was about to turn away when something shiny caught his eye. It looked like a crystal ball. He reached for it, but it seemed to sink out of sight when his hand got close. Determined, he started pulling heavy books out of the way, chasing the crystal as it seemed to withdraw from his fingertips, reaching deep into the depths of the box.

Standing in the dark in her apartment, Sarah watched her little brother rummage through the box through Jareth's crystal. For a moment she couldn't breathe. This could NOT be happening.

"That crystal ball is yours..." she gasped. "You planted it there."

Jareth merely smiled, watching her face. Tearing her eyes from the shadowy image of her brother, she turned furious eyes on him. "What are you up to? What is going on, Jareth?"

"Merely providing the boy with a little encouragement," he confessed. "He has to dig deep to find what he's looking for."

Sarah's eyes widened in understanding, then shot back to the crystal. An incomprehensible sound escaped her as she watched her brother, nearly swallowed by the size of the box, emerge from the very bottom with a small book in his hand.

"That's not fair," she whispered before she could stop herself.

"Now, where have I heard _that_ before?" the Goblin King mocked, a sneer curling his regal features.

In the dark of the attic, Toby traced his finger curiously over the little red book. This seemed older than the others, and much less boring. Holding it close to his face, he squinted to make out the spidery gold letters on the cover.

_The Labyrinth._


	4. Chapter 4

**HEY GUYS! Thanks so much for your patience in waiting for chapter 4, and thanks SO MUCH, as always, for reading and for the reviews!! I'm glad y'all are liking this so far. Get ready...we're about to plunge into some ACTION. And it's pretty diabolical....**

Sarah shook her head, watching as her little brother curiously flipped the book open and began turning pages. "You're crazy. You're _crazy._ What are you trying to pull, Jareth? You can't honestly think that..."

"Honesty needs a little help now and then," the Goblin King said softly. Sarah tore her eyes from the crystal to look at him - and her breath caught in her throat.

She had forgotten what it was to be so close to those mismatched eyes, so vividly framed by his elaborate mess of platinum hair...and the look he was giving her shot through to her soul. It was a searching sort of look, and made her feel as if he could see straight through her. The icy blue and warm amber hues of his eyes reflected the confliction she felt. Cold with dread, she also felt the warmth of her swiftly beating heart. Hot and cold. A puzzle, like everything about him. Like every way he made her feel.

"Please." She tried to say it sternly, but it came out as a whisper. "Please don't do this, Jareth."

_"Please." _Jareth liked that. He smirked as he studied her face, her eyes wide in disbelief, in desparation. Already she'd said "please." This was a good start. A very good start indeed.

"It's too late, Sarah. Events have been set in motion that cannot be undone."

They both turned back to the crystal, in which Toby had settled onto the attic floor with the little red book. As he flipped through it, halfheartedly searching for illustrations, a gentle gust of wind suddenly stirred up and blew across the pages. The breeze died as swiftly as it had started, and Toby found himself staring at the page it had stopped on. Especially on a certain line, right in the middle of the page.

Sarah was shaking her head, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. Jareth was _such_ a cheater. And there was nothing she could do about it. "No," she whispered again, willing her brother to slam the book shut, to throw it away, to get the hell out of that attic and never set foot there again. "No. No. No." Jareth was silent, watching her.

Toby hesitated, reading the sentence in his mind. Even though it was stupid, something made him a little nervous about the thought of reading it out loud. His friend Jason at school had sworn that he'd seen a ghastly face in the mirror after trying that 'Bloody Mary' thing. Toby was in no hurry to have anything like that happen. But after a few moments, the temptation was too much to resist. Holding the book with both hands, a mischievous smile spreading across his face, he raised his head and shouted into the empty air, "I WISH THE GOBLINS--"

Sarah felt, rather than heard, the scream tear itself from her throat. Her hands flew to her head as her eyes squeezed shut - denying what was happening, refusing it. But the events that unfolded would not be denied, and she watched them happen as if in slow motion.

Jareth vanished from her side like snow, as quietly as if he'd never been there at all. The crystal remained hovering before her, and through it she watched helplessly as the Goblin King materialized in her parents' attic in his usual shower of glitter, towering over her little brother as he once had over her.

Toby cried out in shock and fell backward, his eyes glued to the imposing figure suddenly standing before him. But as he took in the weird-looking stranger, he felt the fear leave him. What kind of a freak was this? He looked like somebody out of a comic book.

"Hey, mister! This is my dad's house!" He shouted, scrambling to his feet and glaring up at the weirdo.

The stranger just smiled, raised a slender hand and snapped his fingers. With two loud pops, a pair of grimy goblins appeared by his side. They sniffed and looked around, squinting in the sudden sunlight. Toby gulped and fell back a step.

"You have courage, young man," the Goblin King said softly. "Perhaps a bit too much, for raising your voice to the King of the Goblins is an unforgivable offense. I'm afraid you must pay for your insolence."

Without command, the goblins lurched forward and grabbed the boy by his thin arms. Toby screeched and kicked his legs violently. "Let me go, you booger brains!" he roared.

At that the Gobling King laughed aloud. "He's simply fearless!" he called, and Sarah heard him as clearly as if he still stood beside her. "I suppose it runs in the family. Whatever am I to do with him?"

Sarah's hands were clenched at her sides, so tightly that she could no longer feel them. "Jareth. Don't do this. He's just a kid." Her voice shook, and she fought for self control. She had to take command of this situation before something unbelievably awful happened. "Let him go. He didn't know what he was saying. He didn't mean it!"

"Oh, he didn't?" Jareth grinned, mocking her, his arms folded across his marble chest. "Just like you didn't, I assume. Remember, Sarah? Those were the exact words you said to me when _you_ spoke the words. You really should try to think up a more convincing argument next time. At any rate - I'm afraid it's out of my hands." He raised his arms and clapped - and just like that, he was gone, along with the goblins and her little brother, and Sarah was staring into an empty attic.

Her heart dropped into her stomach.

"NO!!!"

As the scream flew from her, she acted without thinking. Terrified, disbelieving, thinking only of her little brother, she reached out and grabbed the crystal.

Immediately she felt a pulling sensation at her fingers, strong and warm. It increased until her apartment was sucked away and she was suddenly flying through darkness. Remembering immediately what this feeling meant, she squeezed her eyes shut and waited for it to be over...and at the same time wishing that it wouldn't end at all. Because when it was over, she knew that she would open her eyes to see the Labyrinth stretching out before her again, majestic and frightening and inescapably real.

From somewhere in space, Jareth watched Sarah vanish from her living room and smiled. Everything had worked perfectly.

Everything was going according to plan.

**Oh noooooooes D: Bad, BAD Jareth....heheheh. Stay tuned for the next chapter, I'll try to have it up soon!**


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